


Of Books and Men

by JustDuckinDont



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I have no clue what else to tag, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 11:05:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9068896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustDuckinDont/pseuds/JustDuckinDont
Summary: Will sees him in the bookstore time and time again. Almost as if Hannibal has made it his duty to meet him there.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coquettish_murder_muffin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coquettish_murder_muffin/gifts).



> Written for my best bro.

He’s not the type of person that particularly enjoys pop or even club music but Beverly does and she's the only reason he's here. Fingers wrapped around a sweating beer with no label as he’d already torn it off. Nerves on edge from the too loud music and passing glances from people he doesn’t know. People he doesn’t care to know either. They’re just not his kind of people. This isn’t his scene and never will be.

 

Beverly, however, drinks it all in. Foot tapping the ground as a man passes behind her. Her dark gaze scanning down his back to smirk appreciatively at his backside. Then suddenly she’s focusing on the guy in front of her. Brunette hair tousled and soft against his head, not nearly long enough to fall into his calculating gaze. Not at all dressed for this place in his just off work attire. Gray button down wrinkled from a long day and untucked from the jeans he’d managed to grab before Beverly barged into his house. Setting the dogs off into a storm of chaotic barks because of course they love her.

 

“Come on! Get excited!” Beverly shouts at him over the music. Dragging him from the peacefulness of his thoughts and into the present. His friend finishes her overpriced drink. Setting the empty glass on a vacant counter behind her before taking his free hand. She dances alone of course when she begins. She may have been able to drag him into this place but she will not get him to dance. No matter the things she fights to blackmail him with.

 

“Will!”

 

He wants nothing more than to pull back. To rip his hand from hers and storm out of the club but a pair of eyes make him pause. Eyes clear as day in the look they give him despite the shadowy darkness. A look so masked that Will feels nothing but utter confusion when the pair of eyes look away. Melting into the sea of bodies around them.

 

“Hello? Earth to Will!” Beverly shouts at him and he meets her eyes. Worry written there plainly and he wonders just how long she’d been trying to get his attention. Just what he’d missed in his mental absence.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Good. You’re back. Lost you for a second. Wanted to know if you wanted another beer. That one is looking a little on the low side.”

 

“No.” He whispers. Suddenly feeling a little too overwhelmed. As if the bodies around him are closing in and it only takes Beverly a moment to recognize the clear cut panic. The hand she holds suddenly gripped just a little tighter and she pulls him through the crowd. Either leading him to a fresh hell or fresh air but Will is fairly certain through the haze that it will be fresh air. Beverly cares for him enough to save him while trying to make him a little more social.

 

The air outside of the club slams into him like a truck. Lifting the haze minute by minute as they stand in the privacy of a damp alleyway. The back door of the club closing and blocking out the music but it still manages to thump quietly in the background as he breathes. Beverly doesn’t let go until he pulls his hand away. Fingers curling into a fist as he pushes away from the brick wall behind him.

 

“You good?”

 

“Fine.” His shaky breath says otherwise but Beverly doesn’t mention it. “I want to go home now.”

 

“Okay.” Her nod is short and curt. “I’ll get you a cab.”

 

He doesn’t speak. Choosing to follow her down the alleyway rather. Dropping the bottle he still holds in a trashcan as Beverly hails him a cab. She isn’t ready to go home yet and that’s fine. He wouldn’t want to ruin her night or the chances with the man she had been eyeing. He wouldn’t be surprised if he had already managed to ruin it for her but by the hug she gives him before he climbs into the cab tells him no. That her night is just beginning.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asks her as they stand on the sidewalk.

 

He just nods before getting into the yellow cab.

 

* * *

  
  


Home is a sanctuary. It’s where he feels the safest and today is no different. It’s not too warm outside or cool and the windows are open all around the house. Front door swung wide open on it’s hinges but the screen closed to keep the bugs out. Some of the dogs lounge around the living room while some run outside. One of the more peaceful days despite it being forced. Jack telling him to take off for the day and Will suspects that Beverly told him about the night before. His near panic attack and everything that had come with it.

 

He shakes his head to himself. Of course it was Beverly. She cares enough to do something like that but now he’s home and out of things to do. The house is cleaning and smell of cleaning products. The fridge is clean of old food and the dog bowls have been scrubbed clean. Most of them have had a bath aside from the one who continuously evades his advances. His own body relatively clean in freshly washed jeans and a t-shirt that Beverly had bought him weeks ago. The image of some band on it that he doesn’t know.

 

A bird chirps beyond the window he sits next to. Lounging quietly on the sofa with a book he has read before. It won’t hold his attention if he tries. Something else entirely will he’s sure of. It’s a good enough reason to visit a bookstore. A perfectly good reason even. Good enough to grab his keys, call all the dogs in and lock up.

 

His car comes to live with a turn of the key. Rumbling around him but falling quieter as he drives down the long, lonely road into the city. The mid afternoon sun casting shadows between the trees before buildings take over. More cars and people falling in alongside him before he pulls up to the bookstore he had fallen in love with years ago. One of the few places that he felt safe in besides his own home.

 

It’s a little hole in the wall kind of place. Set between a chinese restaurant and a pawn shop. Door wide and intimidating as the charcoal paint chips from it’s surface. Bronze handle cool and worn beneath his hand when he pushes the heavy wooden door open. The homely scent of used books hitting him and he takes a deep breath once he’s closed the door behind him. The lady who owns it barely casting him a glance as he’s a regular here.

 

Books sit piled on tables before overpacked shelves. Nothing has a specific place and despite all of it’s chaos there is a certain order to it. Certain genres call specific places their home and that is by the owner’s decision. The lady now looking him over and giving him a polite smile. Her graying brunette hair pulled back into a loose bun at the back of her head.

 

“New books in the back, Graham.” She offers him and he nods.

 

“Thank you, Fisher.”

 

He doesn’t know her first name but she knows his. He had taken the time to introduce himself on a particularly good day at the checkout counter. In return, all he got was Fisher and she seems like a relatively lonely woman. Refined and private. She doesn’t bother him as long as he doesn’t bother her and they work like that.

 

The books spread out before him like open arms. Welcoming him to his home away from home and he smiles softly to himself. Picking out the shiny, new spine of a book but he looks up when the door to the bookstore opens. Only catching the back of a well tailored gray suit that the man wears. Fitting him perfectly as he speaks to Fisher in hushed tones then he turns.

 

His gaze is a masked one and oh so familiar. The sunlight catching in the gold of his eyes and shining in the newly graying strands of his brunette hair. Swept so easily to the side that Will isn’t quite sure if he’s looking at a model or just a well dressed doctor of some sort. He’s willing to bet doctor if he were to judge by the briefcase he holds. He’s seen this man before or at least his eyes. There’s no doubt about that and where he’s seen those eyes comes in a flash of a memory. The club with it’s too loud music and overbearing sea of people.

 

Part of him wants to greet him. To take his hand and learn his name but the other half begs him to turn back to the bookshelf in front of him. Something so intriguing about the newcomer calls to him but he turns back to the bookshelf. Reveling in the safety it provides but then the man has approached him. Standing at his side with a polite smile when Will finally looks at him but his words escape him.

 

The man is incredibly beautiful. High cheekbones that look like they could cut glass. Jawline so perfect that Will just wants to drags his fingers along. Wondering if it was as soft as it looked or if there was some kind of stubble hidden there that he just couldn’t see. Will wonders if the man could be any more pretty but then he smiles. A smile so perfect that Will feels the breath leave his lungs. The book he holds suddenly hitting the floor and the thud drags him out of his daze. Blinking through wide eyes as the man bends to pick it up and hold it out to him.

 

“You dropped this?”

 

His voice sends shivers down his spine. Deep and beautiful. Just as beautiful as the man himself was. Will can only nod. Taking the book from his hand and fingers brushing softly from the exchange. He doesn’t speak for a moment. The man merely studying him through expressionless eyes before his lips perk up into a small smile.

 

“Have a nice day.”

 

With that he leaves. Nodding his goodbye to Fisher but the lady doesn’t return it and the man doesn’t seem all that bothered by it.

 

* * *

  
  


Will finishes out the week with one solved murder under his belt and a weariness he blames on the solved case. Beverly teases him afterward in such a way that it feels reminiscent to the day she’d blackmailed him into going out. Jimmy and Brian gratefully ignore him until he decides to leave. Beverly’s voice calling after him until there’s a door between them and silence follows him. Only his footsteps echoing off walls and still more silence once he’s in his car. 

 

Home is chaos. Dogs barking in excitement. Noses invasive when he comes in through the front door but he kneels to pet each of them. Murmuring softly in a way that he knows they understand and when he stands to walk they follow. A herd of dogs trailing after him into the kitchen and it’s relatively peaceful. Normal until it’s not. A knock at the door setting the dogs off but he doesn’t raise his voice to silence them.

 

Alana Bloom is a picture of well put together beauty where she stands across the threshold from Will. They’re colleagues, friends even but this is an unexplained visit. She’s fresh from work. That much is evident. Still in the dress he saw her in from earlier in the day.

 

“Alana.” He comes off a little harsher than he intended but Alana is used to him. She gives him a small smile that only says ‘it’s okay’ rather than anything else and he stands aside to let her in. The dogs peering up at her curiously as if they have never seen her before. Their brains most likely focused on the idea of food rather than rememberance. “I was just feeding them.”

 

“It’s okay. I can wait.” Alana wanders to scan bookshelves rather than sit on the sofa. She doesn’t intend to stay long, that much Will understands and he goes to finish feeding. Leaving the dogs to eat in the kitchen before returning to her. Now finding her inspecting his fishing lures. A personal project and it pulls at him in annoyance rather than pride for the invasion of his privacy.

 

“Did you need something?” Hands tuck into his pockets to keep Alana from seeing the fists he makes as she turns. Her dark hair lying over her shoulder before she brushes it back.

 

“I do, actually. A good friend of mine has recently moved his practice here and I’d like for you to meet him.”

 

“He a psychiatrist like you?”

 

“He is.”

 

“I see..” He brushes his glasses back up his nose from where they had slid down in feeding the dogs.

 

“I think it would be good for you. Him as well but mainly you.”

 

“Why do you think that?”

 

“He’s new here. Needs a friend besides me.” Alana smiles warmly, “I think you two would get along.”

 

“Maybe.” The idea of meeting someone new feels more of a chore than anything else. Especially with how tired he is now. Maybe he would be more agreeable after a good night’s sleep but he doubts that Alana would leave without a definite yes now. “I’ll think about it.”

 

“Do.” Alana glances down at one of the dogs who walks up to her. Snout to the floor and sniffing at her heels. “I should go. I need to get home and feed Applesauce.”

 

“Yes.” Will nods and the dog that sniffs at Alana wanders off when she moves towards the door. Crossing the threshold once Will has opened it for her but she turns to face him before stepping off the front porch. “Goodbye.”

 

“I plan to meet with him tomorrow for brunch. With or without you but I’d prefer if you were there.”

 

“I’ll think about it.”

 

* * *

  
  


The next morning is clear and cool. His dreams washed away by the heat of his shower. The dogs fed before his hair manages to dry on it’s own but he finds himself sitting alone on his own sofa before long. New book lying closed on the coffee table beside a half empty coffee cup. It’s interesting to say the least but it reminds him of the man. The beautiful creature that he had seen just yesterday. Eyes that he recalls so clearly and he wonders how they would look on a mid summer evening filled with the fading light of the sun. Would they glow in the light? Would the colors explode into the definition of beauty itself? Fill with the sun’s rewarding warmth or remain as emotionless and unreadable as it had in the bookstore.

 

He drops his head into his hands at the thought. Mind recalling the man until he’s pulled from his memories by a dog licking his hand. Brown eyes bright when they peer into his in the morning light.

 

“What is it boy?” He’s answered by a soft woof. Tail softly swishing across the floor when he sits to watch him carefully. “Want to go outside?” His question is answered by three more dogs trotting up. Noses prodding at his shins as he stands. “Alright, alright, give me a chance to get there.”

 

The door is barely open before the dogs bolt out of the house. Racing across the yard after a squirrel that just manages to climb a nearby tree before they reach it. Their voices loud as they complain about the escaped victim and Will smiles to himself but it fades when he spots a car driving up. Alana’s car coming to a stop in the driveway and his shoulders sag when she climbs out. The beautiful woman ever smiling and always picture perfect.

 

“Alana.”

 

“He canceled on me.” Alana gets straight to the point. Holding her purse in front of her knees almost innocently. Red lips forming an almost pout despite Will’s frown. “Said he had an appointment to attend to.”

 

“Well, he is new to the city.” Will turns to lead her into the house. Motioning for her to sit on the sofa. “Coffee?”

 

“Please, black.” He nods, collecting his now cold coffee from the table as Alana sits. Purse set beside her on the cushion as her eyes scan the room. The woman in relatively the same position when he returns with two fresh cups of coffee. Alana only a little more comfortable. Her back less rigid and fingers no longer wrapped around the strap of her purse. She accepts the cup with a polite smile. “Thank you.”

 

He nods before sitting. The silence filling the room as he sips at his coffee. Alana rather holding onto her cup than drinking it. Either not wanting to smudge her lipstick or stain her teeth. A little imperfection would not ruin her. Will knows it and he is sure that Alana herself knows it but she still doesn’t drink her coffee.

 

“Since he canceled on me..” She begins, gaze studying him. “Have lunch with me?”

 

“Where at?” If they are alone then he will go. If she isn’t forcing him to meet someone he would rather not then he will agree. “Just this little italian place in the city. I believe you’ll like it.”

 

“I need to change and get the dogs in.”

 

“I have nothing but time today.” She smiles and it’s less polite. More friendly and Will can’t help but to return it with a small one of his own before standing. Calling in the dogs as Alana reads the back of his new book. Her curiosity piqued by the cover.

 

* * *

  
  


The place is small. Quiet and almost romantic even but he knows that she doesn’t mean it like that. They have tried that before and nothing beyond that. They are friends. Plain and simple. The lunch goes by relatively easily. Filled with small talk on Will’s part and Alana talking about her friend that canceled on her. He doesn’t mind it. It means that he doesn’t have to provide a topic.

 

“I still want you to meet him you know.”

 

“Maybe some other time.” Will sips at his water. Letting it sit on his tongue and wash away the taste of lingering garlic before he swallows. “He doesn’t seem all that interested in meeting me if he canceled.. Unless he didn’t know about me. That would change things considerably.” 

 

“He knew. He was rather adamant about meeting you actually.” She smiles, fingers ghosting over the base of her wine glass before she picks it up. Thin stem between her fingers when she takes a quick sip. “Sounded rather disappointed in himself for having to cancel. Promises that we will try again.”

 

“I wonder why he is so interested in meeting me.” A sliver of sarcasm coats his tone and Alana smiles shyly. He assumes that Alana has said nothing but good things about him and that was why. 

 

“Meet him and find out.” She sets her glass on the table again when the waiter returns. Paying their bill with a warm smile before she stands to leave and Will follows her out into the afternoon sun. The warmth soaking into the nearly black gray of his button up. Hands tucked into black slacks that had seen better days. He isn’t picture perfect and looks far from the type of companion that Alana would have.

 

“Ready to go?” She asks as they stand on the sidewalk.

 

“You can go on home if you’d like. I can take a cab home.” He recognizes where they are and he knows they are but a few minutes from the bookstore. The idea of visiting again fills him with excitement.

 

“But we-”

 

“I know.” He cuts her off and she seems taken aback by his abrupt reply before she nods in understanding.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay then..” Her grip tightens on her purse when she pulls him into a one armed hug. “I’ll see you Monday then?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay, take care.”

 

“You too.” He looks off down the sidewalk as she walks away. Climbing into her car and pulling away from the curb but he waits for her car to disappear around the block before he moves. Walking briskly towards the bookstore. Catching the door just as someone else walks in but he freezes in the doorway.

 

Silver brunette hair shines with the light in the entryway. Back to him and he stands rather straight. There is no slouch to his form and no wrinkle forms in the deep, navy blue of his blazer. It’s not until the man turns that Will realizes he had just been standing there studying his back. Eyes still just as unreadable and lips set in a firm line before he smiles. Stepping aside to allow Will to pass. Hand extended but an apology missing. Will passes by him regardless. All too aware of the gaze that he feels on his body when he makes a beeline for the ‘new’ section.

 

The time that passes while he looks over the spines of the books feels like a lifetime. Everything just a little bit slower. A little bit blurred and little bit cold. Mind swimming with the idea that he had been caught staring at a man he doesn’t know. This isn’t high school for christ sakes! He shakes his head trying to get a grip on himself but it all fails when the man steps up beside him. Hands hidden in his pockets and golden eyes scanning the titles but then something changes in the air around them. As if a switch is flipped and there is something just a little bit more approachable about him.

 

Maybe it’s the smell of his cologne. The warm, yet mature fragrance reaching Will and he would never describe it as overpowering but rather relaxing. It helps calm his nerves as he stands besides the gorgeous man. Even giving him the courage the glance over at him but he freezes when their eyes meet. The man shifting to hold out his hand confidently.

 

“Hello.”

 

“Hi.” Will takes his hand and worries that his skin may be a little too sweaty for the man but he doesn’t seem all that bothered by anything. The man’s grip firm but still somehow soft as his skin is warm against Will’s.

 

“My name is Hannibal Lecter and you are?”

 

“Will.” Will clears his throat, hoping Hannibal doesn’t detect the slight crack in his voice. “Will Graham.”

 

It takes him a moment to realize he is still holding Hannibal’s hand and he releases rather sharply. Turning his gaze back to the books and away from the golden eyes that flicker with curious amusement when he looks away. The silence that follows isn’t overbearing. Will rather enjoys it. It gives him a chance to collect himself. To swallow back the nerves that rise and threaten to turn him into a sweaty mess.

 

“This is the second time I have seen you here. Is that just coincidence or do you normally frequent this establishment?” Hannibal asks after a moment. Hands tucked back into his pockets smoothly. The subtle shift of his head loosening strands of hair to fall over his eyes.

 

“I like it here.” Will ignores the urge to brush Hannibal’s hair back into place. He doesn’t know him that well and may never will. “What about you?”

 

“Oh, I’m new to the city. I happened to stumble upon it my first week here and haven’t been able to forget it since.” Lips twitch into a subtle smile and Will nods.

 

“I see.”

 

Hannibal glances down at the silver watch that adorns his wrist. Half hidden beneath the sleeve of his blazer. “Well, it was rather lovely to make your acquaintance but I must go.”

 

“Oh okay, goodbye then.”

 

“Goodbye, Will.”

 

* * *

  
  


Will sees him in the bookstore time and time again. Almost as if Hannibal has made it his duty to meet him there. He always arrives in a different suit, always well tailored and obviously expensive. Once he wore a sweater but never in a pair of jeans and he finds it rather odd for awhile. He realizes that Hannibal is just a fashionable man. As fashionable as he is intelligent. Their conversations at first remaining short and simple but then they developed into more. Varied topics that moved them to quiet park benches or warm cafes on dreary days. Hannibal is so much more than a pretty face but Will still feels as if he is in the dark rather than anything else when it comes to Hannibal.

 

It’s a particularly quiet evening when they meet outside of the bookstore. The sun already half set and setting the sky ablaze in a sea of colors. The orange glow casting shadows across Hannibal’s form. Setting the gold of his eyes into the varying shades of a glowing ember. It was a rather late meeting because of Will. A victim found mutilated beyond recognition days ago but solved earlier that day. The only reason Will had even been able to meet Hannibal.

 

“Hello.” Will knows he sounds tired. His body, mind and soul worn out but he wouldn’t miss a moment with Hannibal for the world. The thought of doing so saddens him. The thought that he would miss Hannibal new and strange. He hadn’t realized just how close he’d gotten to the older man. A man he knew nothing about in terms of career. The area of conversation ignored and Hannibal never asked him for his.

 

“You sound exhausted.”

 

“I am. Sorry.”

 

“No need but perhaps instead of our normal venture we change things a little. My house perhaps? I’ll make dinner if you’ll allow me.”

 

Will ponders it a short moment before he nods his agreement. “I’ll follow you in my car then?”

 

“If you would.”

 

The house Hannibal leads him too is larger than he expected it to be. Brown brick, two stories, wide windows and double doors. If he didn’t know any better he’d assume it was a mansion rather than anything else. Yard perfectly manicured in the fading light and windows dark as he follows his friend into the house. The inside is different than the outside. The den furniture pristine and he is willing to bet rarely used.

 

The kitchen however, is a different story. A harmonic mix of stainless steel and dark woods makes him almost jealous of Hannibal’s taste. It shows its use. It shows just how much Hannibal loves it as well. It flows and Hannibal remains unhindered the moment he steps into it. Blazer sliding off his shoulders before he folds it carefully over his arm. Salmon pink shirt absorbing the light from above a wooden chopping block in nearly the center of the kitchen.

 

“Wait here a moment.”

 

“Sure.”

 

Hannibal returns without his blazer but the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. Watching him cook seems less like a chore and more like a dance. A certain ebb and flow that comes effortlessly in a never ending wave. Hannibal is in complete control and there is no space for another as he commands the entire space by just standing there at his chopping board. He glances up every so often. Either searching for some kind of reaction or just to look at him he isn’t sure.

 

He makes small talk as he works. Setting plates on the dining room table in the stylish room attached to the kitchen when he has a moment to spare. The white candles set apart on the table remaining unlit and Will is grateful for it. It already feels reminiscent to a date of some sort. As if Hannibal would ever go to such lengths. As if Hannibal would ever even feel about Will in that manner. He is a man of taste and Will is no such thing.

 

“Your home is beautiful.” He studies the unused fireplace. Ornate tusks framing a painting just behind it on the mantel but he pauses when he half turns. Catching a glimpse of the opposite wall on the other side of the table. “And that. That is-”

 

“Exquisite, isn’t it?” He disappears into the adjoining kitchen once more but Will remains.

 

Eyes uncertain where they should pause to take in the entirety of the wall. Grays and blacks enamoring despite the lack of color. The trees so perfectly crafted and Will wonders who did it. He only looks away when Hannibal returns carrying dishes that Will most certainly could be helping with but he doesn’t move or speak out. Only sliding into the seat next to the head of the table at an empty plate.

 

“I had a plan for a different dish but this will do.” He explains as if he is truly upset by the idea of doing something that isn’t what he had wanted. The emotions he conveys in his voice unseen in his golden gaze. Still emotionless and guarded as he pours two glasses of red wine.

 

“I’m sorry if I’ve put you out.”

 

Hannibal shakes his head, “you haven’t. I just meant that with your company I had to improvise.”

 

“What did you plan to have before you invited me?”

 

“Beggar’s Chicken.”

 

“Which is?” He assumes it doesn’t sound like what it’s named and he hopes it doesn’t. Hannibal doesn’t seem the beggar time but more a person would beg to.

 

“Rather simple really. A chicken wrapped in lotus leaves with a clay shell then roasted.”

 

“You could have done that still.”

 

“No. It would have taken too long and I would not want to keep you waiting.” He picks up a knife and a fork as he speaks. Cutting into the tenderloin that sits so perfectly crafted between them on the table. Side dishes and sauces set nearby within reach. “This took much less time.”

 

“And I am sure it’ll taste as good as it looks.”

 

“Everyone has a different taste for such things.” He cuts smoothly. Making Will’s plate first then his own but he leaves Will with the option to use the sauce on his own. A sauce that appears red as blood as Will looks at it in the white, ceramic sauce boat. Hannibal seems to catch on as he sets his fork down on his plate gently. “The sauce is a cumberland sauce. It is made with choice fruits for sweetness as well as my own choice in spices. I believe you will like it.”

 

“Oh. Okay.”

 

The dinner is easy enough beyond that. The sauce is both sweet and spicy. Mixing well with the flavors from the tenderloin. The green beans on his plate seem almost a little too mundane for Hannibal but it’s good and he’s happy to enjoy a meal that isn’t his normal thing. The company isn’t all that bad either. Hannibal remains quiet by his side at the head of the table. Eyes glancing at him every so often as if to read him or perhaps just to soak in the look of happiness that Will feels tug at his lips.

 

* * *

  
  


“I can’t believe he keeps canceling.” Alana comments. Eyes glued to her phone before a soft sigh escapes her lips. “I’m sorry.”

 

“He seems like a busy man.”

 

“New practice keeps him busy.” Alana slips her phone into her purse. “But we can still have dinner can’t we?”

 

“Sure.” Will sets his napkin in his lap as the waiter appears beside the table. Setting down glasses with water before the wine glasses. A white wine that Will suddenly can’t recall the name of being poured and for a moment he’s thrown back to his dinner with Hannibal. This is nothing like it but the wine reminds him. The restaurant around him is a little louder and somewhere behind him a fork scraps against a plate.

 

“Have we decided?” The waiter asks. Blue eyes expectant but clearly bored as he drops his weight on his left leg almost impatiently.

 

“Yes, I’ll have the-” Will ignores Alana’s order. They already talked about it and after a moment he rattles off his own. Fully aware that what he’s just ordered won’t be as good as what Hannibal had made him just a week ago. Everything with Hannibal had a certain shine to it. There was something about the man that just heightened everyday things. Maybe it was his attraction to him that did it or maybe Hannibal really was just that special.

 

“So.” Alana leans over the table carefully as if she is about to spill some juicy gossip that Will will more than likely have zero interest in. “I went by your house yesterday afternoon but you weren’t home. Usually you are home so.. Where were you?”

 

“What?” He looks her in the eye. Curiosity filling her gaze and red lips turning up into a half smile that begs him to talk. “I wasn’t anywhere.”

 

“Your car wasn’t there.”

 

“I went for a drive in the woods near the house.” It’s a lie. He had been with Hannibal at the bookstore. Comfortably listening to him talk about his favorite authors as well as chefs when they came across a cookbook. Will knows that Hannibal has a certain dislike for many of them. Claiming they rarely ever made dishes as they should and Will was very willing to agree. He doubted any of them had the finesse that Hannibal possessed in the kitchen. “It was a nice day, a beautiful day and I chose to enjoy it.”

 

“You could have walked and you would never miss a chance to take the dogs with you.” Alana breaks through his lie with fluid ease. Her smile widening. “Where were you really?”

 

“Out.”

 

“Out?”

 

“Just out.” It comes out harshly and it breaks Alana’s smile. He doesn’t want her to trying to dig into his privacy like she is. He doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like that what he has with Hannibal could be figured out. Not that he has a problem with his attraction to the man. It has never been much of a problem except this attraction seems to go a little deeper into his core.

 

The waiter returns with amazing timing. Setting plates down and Alana is silenced for the time being. Her smile returning with polite ease before the waiter is gone once again.

 

* * *

  
  


Seeing Hannibal stand in his den is both a dream and a nightmare. The house isn’t as clean as it could be and at least three of the dogs have mud on their paws but Hannibal doesn’t seem to mind. He kneels slowly and the dogs crowd him. Noses in his face and sniffing at his hair but it takes it all in stride. Either to show that he too loves dogs or to just appeal to Will he isn’t sure. Hannibal kneeling for a pack of dogs in a sweater and slacks isn’t something Will thought he’d ever see.

 

“They like you.”

 

“You sound as if that is difficult to believe.” Hannibal looks up at him. The gold of his eyes filled with the light from above him. Shining just a little bit brighter and Will’s shoulders sag as Hannibal stands.

 

“I’m sorry that everything is a mess.” Will fidgets under Hannibal’s gaze. Still as unreadable as ever but he swears he finds just a flicker of understanding before it disappears.

 

“No one expects perfection at all hours of the day and neither do I.”

 

“But I invited you here for dinner.”

 

“I don’t mind. It is very..” he glances down at the dogs then around the room at scattered, mismatched dog beds. “You.”

 

“It’s a mess.” Will sighs. “It’s rude.”

 

“I invited you when my own home was a mess.”

 

He considers perfection a mess? “Hardly seemed like it.”

 

“You just didn’t know what to look for.” A dog noses at his hand and he opens his hand palm up for her to lick at his fingers. “But like I said. This is very you.”

 

“Okay then.” Will drops his gaze. Focusing on the ever perfect footwear that Hannibal wears in order to gather himself before looking back up. “The steaks are marinating. I hope that’s okay.”

 

“Sounds lovely.”

 

“You can just sit. I’m going to get myself cleaned up a little.”

 

“No rush.” Hannibal wanders to sit on the sofa. Legs crossed rather elegantly and there is something about the man sitting on his sofa that forces him to suck in a deep breath. Somehow he fits in. Nothing is out of place and maybe it is just the way that Hannibal adapts himself to new places or maybe Hannibal really is just in the place that he should be. Here, in Will’s messy home among muddy dogs.

 

He walks away rather abruptly. Boots thumping against the wooden staircase. His clothes left thrown to the floor in his bedroom before he makes it into the adjoining bathroom. Quickly washing away the day. Attempting to wash away his nerves that threaten to make him lose all sense of being. Why is he so nervous? This is just Hannibal. An amazing, intelligent, mysterious and gorgeous specimen of a man. He is beyond anything that Will could ever be but yet he holds a certain fascination with him. That much is evident. He’s known that since their third meeting.

 

With a deep breath he steps out of the shower. Combing his wet hair back and shaving. His beard thicker than he had let it become before and afterward he inspects himself. Clean and chin bare of thick hair. Maybe Hannibal will like this. He hasn’t seen him after shaving before. His clothes he realizes are little too nice but he has them on before he can find it within himself to stop. This isn’t a date. It’s just a dinner between friends. He does this with Alana plenty.

 

Except.. Hannibal is different from Alana. So very different.

 

Downstairs Hannibal is still on the sofa when Will reappears. The dogs having returned to their milling about rather than the visitor and he’s grateful for that. He wouldn’t want Hannibal getting dirty. 

 

“Took a little longer than expected.” He picks at his light gray button up, tucked tightly into his black slacks. The sleeves carefully rolled up as he still has to grill the steaks. For a moment he expects Hannibal to merely glance over him but golden eyes hold his for a moment longer than they probably should. The air around him seems to still before Hannibal nods.

 

“Handsome.”

 

“Wh- What?” Will chokes out at the unexpected compliment. It is the understatement of a lifetime because Hannibal is the handsome one. Will is more like a scraggly puppy and he knows it. “I.. thank you.”

 

“Very different from what you normally wear.” He stands. Eyes inspecting him closely as he closes in. “You shaved too.”

 

“It was time to.”

 

“I agree.”

 

Will relaxes at that. Hannibal giving him a small smile is enough to do that. “I’ll start on the steaks then.”

 

“Would you like some assistance? I am rather skilled at grilling.”

 

“You seem skilled at many things.” Will leads the way down the short hallway into his kitchen. The room in better shape than the den but it isn’t as elegant as Hannibal’s. A little outdated and just as rustic as the den but Hannibal seems to approve. A small nod out of the corner of Will’s eye catches his attention.

 

“I am skilled at things you have yet to witness.” Hannibal adds when he stops to stand in nearly the middle of the kitchen. Will can feel his gaze on his back when he collects marinated steaks before leading him through the backdoor to the outside.

 

“Let me be the one to attempt to impress you.”

 

“You have already.” The comment makes him pause. Steaks left a moment on their plate beside an open grill. “I will not lie when I say that I find you rather fascinating. There is something about you that called me to you and I have been unable to keep myself from you since. There is a certain charm that I realize many others see in you and at times I find it difficult to ignore the fact that they may want you as I do. You are a beautiful creature, Will Graham and I would like the opportunity to feel you in a way that others have not.”

 

“I knew you were fascinated with me but the rest.. I-” The look Hannibal gives him makes him stop. The eyes that look at him aren’t guarded but rather open. Emotional even and it sends a shiver down his spine. Hannibal means what he’s said. “Thank you. I don’t recall anyone ever calling me beautiful before.”

 

“You’re rather quiet. Easy to miss if one isn’t already actively seeking you out but where others have missed you. I have found you.”

 

The truth in the words he speaks comes out so clearly that Will has take a deep breath. His heart beating wildly in his chest under Hannibal’s gaze before he gathers himself. “I still don’t know what you do.”

 

“I’m a psychiatrist and you?” That is why Hannibal reads him so easily. That is how he ‘found’ him.

 

“I teach at Quantico.”

 

“A teacher..” Hannibal muses aloud before nodding. “Fitting.”

 

“I also help solve murders for the FBI.”

 

“Also fitting.” Hannibal nods at the steaks that still sit on the plate. “Perhaps we should continue with dinner.”

 

“Yes. You’re right.”

 

It isn’t until he’s seated with Hannibal at the dining table that he remembers what Hannibal had said to him. Steak knife in one hand and fork in the other. Hannibal’s golden gaze still open to him as he cuts into his own steak. Hannibal wants him. For some reason Hannibal likes him enough to want him and Will can’t deny his own want for Hannibal any longer but he waits. He wants to kiss him. To taste him even but perhaps it is too soon.

 

“This is delicious. What did you use for the marinade?” Hannibal breaks the silence. Padding away at the corner of his mouth with his napkin carefully.

 

“Something that took me years to perfect.” It’s a perfect blend of herbs and spices. A certain sweetness and a kick that lingers on the tongue a moment. It’s his secret and his alone to keep. Hannibal seems to understands as he nods. No glimmer of hurt reflecting in his gaze. “I’m glad you like it.”

 

“It is a recipe that I may get out of you yet.”

 

“Definitely not.” Will smiles over his plate at Hannibal.

 

* * *

  
  


“Canceled again.” Alana very nearly scowls at her phone this time.

 

“Maybe he has lost interest in me.” Will offers as an explanation but Alana shakes her head.

 

“Just busy.”

 

“The same excuse you always use.” Will takes a drink of his water. The coffee beside it is still warm but he feel too on edge as it is. The caffeine will only make it worse. “Breakfast still?”

 

“Yes. I have been craving waffles for days now.”

 

“I see.” He’s never been here before. It’s not the type of place he’d expect Alana to bring him to. A family dinner set a little out of the city. The people that wander in are country folk. Mostly keeping to themselves and older. Overalls stained but Alana is completely engrossed in the menu when a waitress wanders over finally. Green eyes focused and almost as bright as her hair is red.

 

“What can I get you?”

 

Alana goes first of course. Enthusiastic about her waffles and Will keeps it simple. Eggs and toast before Alana throws in that he wants bacon too. The food set before them before Alana can get too deep in her one sided conversation about her students. Will entirely too gone with thoughts of Hannibal and their meeting set for dinner. Another dinner at his place and Will almost can’t wait for his day to be over.

 

“Where are you?” Alana asks, breaking into his thoughts.

 

“Just thinking about today.” He lies.

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

* * *

  
  


Hannibal ushers him into the house right at seven. The smell of food filling the air as they walk and Will’s mouth waters at what awaits him. While he expects the kitchen to be a mess, it of course, isn’t. Everything has a place and appears as ordered chaos. The dish he finds still on the counter makes him pause. Clay shell unbroken on the platter.

 

“Is that what I think it is?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“So that is why you asked me to come at seven rather than when I got off.”

 

“I hope that is okay.”

 

“It’s perfect.” It gave him a chance to clean up. Arriving at the house in some of his best but Hannibal has yet to make a remark or even study him closely. The man beside him dressed down in just a steel gray vest over a shade of soft blue button up. His slacks the same shade of gray. He still looks perfect despite the hours of standing in a kitchen to prepare Beggar’s Chicken. “You look nice.”

 

“Oh.” Hannibal looks down at himself and shrugs. “I’m a mess.”

 

“Hardly.”

 

“You cannot lie to me.” His smile is small but genuine. “I’ll be right back. I’d like to freshen up.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Hannibal returns fresh faced and hair damp as if he’d showered. Dressed in a suit Will had yet to see. Blazer and slacks very nearly black but his shirt a devil red. Tie dark and tasteful with an odd pattern that Hannibal seems rather proud of. His pride judged by the way he smoothes it down with the hint of a smile.

 

“Come, come. Let’s crack the clay.” He lifts the platter effortlessly. Leading the way into an already prepared dining room. The candles lit this time and it sets an almost romantic tone. The red wine set out to chill does nothing to calm the atmosphere and when the lights seem to dime it sets the mood almost immediately. This isn’t just a meeting between friends. 

 

It’s a date.

 

“This is a date.”

 

“It is.” Hannibal sets the platter down carefully. Collecting his tools to crack open the outer shell but he pauses a moment to look over at him. “Does that upset you?”

 

“No.” He shakes his head because it’s the opposite of that. “I like it but I kind of wish you had told me. I would have dressed nicer.”

 

“You are rather beautiful now, Will. I don’t think you could be any more beautiful unless you were in my bed.”

 

Oh, that was unexpected. He ducks his head in an attempt to hide his blush and Hannibal chuckles softly to himself before cracking open the clay shell rather easily. Will sighs and sits down opposite Hannibal where he still stands. Brushing away crumbling clay to the leafy shell beneath then revealing the thoroughly cooked chicken inside.

 

“Wow.. it’s.. Beautiful.”

 

“And delicious.”

 

He cuts and makes the plates once more. Will first, the same as before until he’s finished. Claiming his own seat and meeting Will’s eye. “I hope you like it.”

 

“I’m sure I will.” The first bite is an explosion of flavor on his tongue. It tastes as if he’d been eating all the wrong chicken his entire life and this was his first real taste. Tender and moist. The sound that escapes his throat catches Hannibal’s attention and he pauses his fork in mid air.

 

“It is acceptable then?”

 

“Yes.” Will replies rather curtly and Hannibal nods. A gleam of amusement in his golden eyes as he continues with his own food. He glances periodically at Will before plates are barren and Will quickly offers to wash them. It’s the least he could do.

 

“I can handle it, Will.” Hannibal begins the moment Will takes his plate from before him.

 

“I didn’t help you do anything. It’s the least that I could do.”

 

“You’re my guest. It isn’t your task.” He continues, following Will into his domain.

 

“You can dry then.”

 

At first it was strange. Watching Hannibal dry dinner plates once Will had washed them. It was very mundane, normal even. The look written so plainly on Hannibal’s face makes him smile. A look of confusion as to how he’d been talked into this so easily. It had only taken Will searching out the dish towel drawer for him to fall into his new role. Pointing out the drawer than the dish soap hidden beneath the sink. Will knew that there was a dishwasher. He had seen it but this meant more. It was a little more intimate and he liked it more than he’d probably admit.

 

They retreat to the study once the kitchen is cleaned up to Hannibal’s liking. The study itself holds a different atmosphere than the kitchen and it is just as much Hannibal’s as the kitchen is. Dark wood, leather and red. Books fill the shelves and Will wonders if any of them were the ones he’d bought at the bookstore. Many of them appeared to stand as a testament to time. Worn spines and faded lettering across their covers when Will pulls them out enough to read them. Hannibal doesn’t stop him as his friends sits on a black leather loveseat behind him.

 

“These are interesting.” Will comments and Hannibal hums to himself from his seat. Fingers wrapped delicately around a short scotch glass. Amber liquid still until Hannibal moves to take a short drink. “You are a collector?”

 

“I am.”

 

“Quite the collection you’ve got.”

 

“Thank you.” Will looks back at him. Finding the gold of his eyes lit with the soft, yellow glow from the lamp beside him. “Come and sit with me.”

 

It’s not quite an order but more of a request and Will obliges. Taking the seat next to him and for a moment he fidgets until Hannibal’s scent washes over him. Just as calming as it always is and he sits back in his seat. Eyes still scanning over the bookshelves before him. He can feel Hannibal’s gaze on his cheek. Can feel his heat despite the short distance from him and he leans into his touch when he finally reaches out. Fingers brushing against his collarbone then behind his neck but his grip never tightens.

 

There is a softness about him that nearly confuses Will because he knows of the strength and the power behind those hands. He knows of the darkness that Hannibal keeps reserved. A darkness that Will recognized through guarded eyes. His feelings for Will never smothered that and never would. Just as Will would never be able to smother it. May never want to even. It’s an alluring darkness but it’s not what makes him look over at Hannibal. It’s not what makes him lean in with the guiding hand at the back of his neck.

 

The soft press of lips against his sends shivers down his spine. The bitter taste of liquor on his lips that sent him swimming in a sea of Hannibal. Almost as intoxicating as it would have been if Will were drinking it. The hand at the back of his neck remains ever present and guiding but there is a moment where Hannibal draws back. There is no question in his eye about whether or not he wants to take this night further and Will won’t deny that it didn’t cross his mind in the short moment.

 

“I want this.. But do you?” Will asks. Hand cupping Hannibal’s smooth cheek. The touch electric and Hannibal seems to lean into it. Dark desire growing in golden eyes.

 

“Yes.”

 

The second kiss is harder than the first. Will rushing forward to capture his lips. Hand running through his hair and discovering just how soft the silvering hair was. He sighs when Hannibal wraps his free arm around his middle. Pulling him in closer until he’s flush against his chest. Tongue against Will’s bottom lip and he feels himself shutter when he lets Hannibal in. The taste of scotch strong and setting his heart into a hectic rhythm.

 

Hannibal draws back again but his arm remains firm against Will’s back. “Let’s take this elsewhere.”

 

“Okay.”

 

* * *

  
  


Students rush from his classroom but he remains behind. Collecting his things and packing his briefcase before grabbing his blazer from where it still hung over the back of his chair. It had been a rather easy class. The collective groan when he announced a quiz almost made him smile. His mood easily in the clouds after his night with Hannibal. Waking up only to find himself wrapped in warmth from Hannibal at his bareback. His short shower followed by breakfast with Hannibal.

 

He makes it halfway down the hallway before he’s joined by Alana. His friend smoothing her hand down her dress as her heels click loudly through half empty hallways. Even after a long day with the students she’s picture perfect. Not a hair out of place and smile present as always. A smile seemingly a little bit brighter and a certain spring in her step when she falls in beside him.

 

“Will!”

 

“Alana?”

 

“Good news.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“My friend, he’s invited us to dinner.”

 

“Oh. So I’m finally going to meet the elusive doctor.. Or will he cancel on us again at the last second.” They pass through the double doors at the end of the hallway and step into the bright afternoon sun. “Are you sure he even still wants to meet me?”

 

“He does. He’s just a very busy man.” She pauses to look through her purse for her keys on the sidewalk and Will sighs. His good mood slowly withering away at the idea of finally meeting the man that Alana had strived for him to meet for weeks now. A man who sounds like he’s just doing this out of politeness than any real desire. “I’ll pick you up at six?”

 

“You’re driving me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay then. Six.”

 

“Good. I’ll see you then.” She finally finds her keys and strides away towards the parking lot. Leaving Will to his thoughts in the cool breeze that washes over him. Silently wondering if he can just cancel. The man had done it himself many times but Will shakes his head. He isn’t that petty. He won’t stoop so low as to treat the man in the same manner as he’d treated Will and Alana. He’ll go. Even if the man turns out dull he’ll get something to eat out of it. It will not longer be a question of what if about him.

 

* * *

  
  


The restaurant the mystery man chose wasn’t much of a restaurant at all. Small and the door half hidden by overflow from a florist next door. The waiter who greets them at the door seems to instantly recognize Will. Gesturing hands lead them to a table in the back but Will walks slowly through the small restaurant. Taking in the decor that he wouldn’t expect to find in this kind of place. There is nothing dingy about it but rather classy. Jazz band on the small stage but his attention is moved elsewhere when Alana touches his arm gently.

 

“Sit.”

 

“Yes, sit.” 

 

A second voice speaks up and Will instantly recognizes it. How could he not? It was the same voice that he woke up to. The same voice that spoke to him over breakfast at the dining table. The same voice that said goodbye to him at the front door to his house and he looks down at the man who sits opposite Alana.

 

Silvering brunette hair swept to the side and an almost innocent smile gracing his lips. His golden eyes emotionless and closed off. Everything about him feigns innocence in a way. Everything saying that he doesn’t recognize Will and after a moment he motions for him to sit down next to Alana.

 

“You are Will Graham I presume?” Hannibal begins. Locking eyes with him across the table and it almost feels as if he’s trying to convey everything through the single look but Will looks away. The anger building in his chest because Hannibal knew. Of course he knew, what didn’t the man know. He knew who Will was. He knew that Alana was his friend and never told him. Always pretending not to know who she was when Will talked about her.

 

“Yes.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you, my name is Hannibal Lecter.” He doesn’t extend his hand across the table. Rather choosing to cast a glance at Alana then back to Will as the waiter returns to take orders. “I hope the restaurant is to your liking. I thought for a more private setting this evening. Distractions may take away from this friendship that I am sure will bud here tonight.”

 

“I had no idea that this place was here. How did you find it?”

 

“Stumbled upon it. Quite lucky I believe.” His gaze never leaves Will’s and if it did then it wasn’t for long. His eyes returning to focus on Will after politely looking over at Alana. Giving nothing away as the dinner progresses. Will answering Hannibal’s question as curtly as he can manage without Alana looking at him oddly. Hannibal had built this game before he stepped into the room and he will play along with it so long as he gets his answers at the end of it.

 

Alana announces that she has to leave once her plate is cleared. Something about needing an early start but Will isn’t quite listening to her. He’s more focused on the way that Hannibal rubs his index finger and thumb together across from him. It’s something he does often and he’s yet to figure out why.

 

“Are you coming, Will?” Alana asks once she’s stood and Will shakes his head.

 

“I’ll take a cab home.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.” He fidgets in his seat. Sole of his shoe scraping against the floor and his knee knocks against metal pole that keeps the table upright. “I want to get to know Hannibal a little better.”

 

“Oh.” He hears the excitement in her voice but he refuses to meet her gaze. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

 

“Yes.” Keeping the anger out of his reply is a hard thing to do. Waiting until Alana is gone to begin is even harder. Hannibal before him remains silent as if waiting for the explosion of emotion that threatens to escape but Will takes a deep breath. Trying to calm that rage that builds in his chest and throat. “Why?”

 

“You need to be a little more specific, Will.”

 

“You know what I’m talking about.”

 

“If you must know.. I quite like jazz. A rather exquisite art form.”

 

“Not that.” Will clenches his jaw and Hannibal nods in understand.

 

“Simple really. This is not the first time that Alana has attempted to build a friendship between me and another person. We are quite old friends and this time I chose to take things into my own hands. Before you begin to question if I followed you anywhere I must tell you that I did not. It was by chance that I saw you in that bar. It was by chance that I saw you in that bookstore. I chose to pursue a friendship with you. I chose to continue canceling on you and Alana. I did not wish for her influence to determine what became of us.”

 

“You were in the bar that night?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“But the bookstore was just chance.”

 

“Correct. I found it during my first journey into the city and have yet to forget it.” He smiles softly and Will nods. His anger dissipating by the minute until he breathes out the last of it. The look Hannibal gives him is less guarded than before and an apology remains hidden in it’s depth.

 

“Okay then.” He stands and after a moment Hannibal stands too but he lingers when Will walks away. Uncertainty written so plainly in the tense set of his body that Will has to motion for him to follow.

 

“It is rather cool.” Hannibal speaks aloud once they’ve stepped outside but Will shrugs.

 

“Walk with me anyway.” Hannibal obliges. Catching up rather easily with his hands tucked into the pockets of his cream slacks. Both men remaining silent as they pass beneath street lights. Crossing a side street together until Will pauses at the door to the bookstore. He knows it’s open. Fisher doesn’t close until much later in the night and he opens the door with that in mind. Stepping in the warmth of the building and Hannibal follows. Only coming to a stop when they stand in front of the ‘new’ section again.

 

“Let’s start over.. With less lies this time.” He turns slowly to face Hannibal and holds out his hand. “Hi, my name is Will Graham.”

  
Hannibal studies his hand a moment before accepting it. “Lovely to make your acquaintance Will Graham, my name is Hannibal Lecter.”


End file.
